Hands On With Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

SmartHouse was lucky enough to have some play time with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Wanna know what we think?

There's no beating around the bushes here: based on the 20 minutes of playtime we had with the upcoming Metal Gear game, it is going to be exhilarating. Players will enter the world vicariously through Raiden, whose ninja prowess has only quantified with his cyborg upgrades. He and his electrified blade don't fight as much as they tango, under and between cascades of sensationalised blood.

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Armed with his sword, Raiden can cut through cars, helicopters and bridges

Part human, part cyborg, Raiden uses his sword as though it is an extension of his body and can slice the skin off of an elbow; literally, that's the extent of control players have. Eager gamers can dissect characters many times over, decapitating them or grating them one limb at a time.

It is undeniably graphic and extreme, with the production team exploiting the violence akin to anime. Those familiar with the films of Quentin Tarintino will see some similarities as it has been stylised to complement the visuals while intensifying action.

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Based on Raiden's intricate manoeuvres and the sheer speed of gameplay, you'd presume the controls would involve a complex string of combos, but they're surprisingly easy. In the same way the Arkham series of Batman games rely upon timing to execute acrobatic moves, Metal Gear Rising strings together a simple series of commands to produce exuberant action.

What is missing-at least from our brief demo-is the espionage Snake and Raiden put to work in previous Metal Gears. The skill you'd previously use when walking behind an enemy sentry to hold him up appears absent, and if it is nowhere to be found in the end game, that's disappointing. Metal Gear is known for its ability to produce enthralling action from rhythmically slow-and therefore patient-gameplay. With MGR it appears that may have been swapped for an ongoing adrenaline rush.

Although the graphics appeared fine, the demo wasn't 100% polished. We will comment on them when we handle something more substantial.

But in the interim, gamers can rest assured the ethos of the Metal Gear franchise will live on in Revengeance.